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Derby Running Club

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Derby Running Club

The Derby Running Club was founded on March 17, 2017 as the official 501(c)(3) non-profit booster club for Derby's Track & Field and Cross Country athletes.

The mission of this booster club is to support and enhance Derby's student-athletes by providing resources necessary to improve and excel. Over the years, Derby's student Track & Field and Cross Country community has expanded. We are proud to be represented by athletes at the elementary school level, Derby Middle School Track & Field and Cross Country, and Derby High School Track & Field (Indoor and Outdoor) and Cross Country. Derby is extremely fortunate to have a staff of very talented and dedicated coaches for our young athletes. These coaches volunteer much of their time to train and mentor our young athletes. The Derby Running Club is excited to work tirelessly to raise funds to support our student-athletes while allowing our coaches to do what they do best: coach!

10/08/2026

Derby High School’s Boys’ Cross Country Team defeated two of its three opponents Tuesday in a quad meet at Holy Cross to move its record to 7-3.

The Red Raiders easily outran Crosby 15-47, and Kennedy 15-50, while losing a close battle with Holy Cross 26-31.

“Our kids ran their hearts out today and gave Holy Cross a real fight,” said Derby Coach Joe “Muz” Musante. “Both teams ran well in what was an exciting meet over Holy Cross’s hilly 3.15 mile course.”

The Raiders were missing their No. 2 runner Jayden McNeill, who Muz is hopeful will recover from an injury and return to the lineup soon.

Chase Olmo of Holy Cross was the first to cross the line in a time of 19:22. He was followed by Derby’s Joel Capelle and Colton Shields, who finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively, with times of 20:11.

“Considering it was Joel’s first race since our opening day meet, he did a nice job of earning 2nd place and pushing our top runners along the way,” Muz said. “Colton ran courageously today in what was probably his best race this season.”

Mac Gray was next for the Raiders, placing 5th in the time of 20:24.

“This might have been Mac’s best race so far this season, as well,” Muz said. “To finish ahead of all but two of Holy Cross’s runners on their home course is quite an accomplishment.”

Derby’s Jayden Cooper finished 9th in the time of 21:25. “Jayden has been running well for us and today was another example,” Muz said.

Jeyden Allwood placed 12th to round out Derby’s top five runners. He covered the course in 22:30.

“Jeyden has improved tremendously since last year and is now running faster on a very difficult course than he did on any course last year,” Muz said.

Next for Derby were Tyler Adams, who placed 16th in 22:45; Isaac Baez, who was 18th in 23:15, and Aydin Basuljevic, who finished 19th in 23:28.

Meanwhile, Kezia Amartey, Julianne Meagher and Karen Amartey ran well for Derby in the girls’ race.

Kezia and Julianne placed 4th and 5th, respectively, with times of 26:04 and 26:54. Keren finished in 13th in 31:46.

“All three girls ran well on a challenging course under difficult circumstances,” Muz said.

The Derby girls lost to all three schools because the Raiders could not field at least five runners for this meet. The triple forfeit leaves Derby with a 5-5 record.

“Numbers are challenging in Derby and when you combine that with even a couple of injuries, it puts us in an extremely difficult spot,” Muz said.

Derby competes Saturday in the prestigious Wickham Park Invitational, which offers a preview of the state class championship meets later in the month.

10/04/2026

Derby High School’s Cross Country teams successfully competed Saturday in the 67th Nonnewaug Invitational – the oldest high school invitational cross country meet in Connecticut.

“This was the first time we’ve run in this meet since 2019,” said Derby Coach Joe “Muz” Musante. “The way the schedule shaped up this year, combined with the tough competition in the meet, made this a good choice for us.”

The meet featured East Hampton, which has one of the top Class SS boys’ teams in the state, along with Thomaston, among the top Class S boys’ teams. East Hampton and Thomaston finished 1-2 in the meet.

In the girls’ meet, Shepaug and Lyman Memorial led the way. Those two teams placed 1st and 2nd, respectively, two weeks ago in the Winding Trails Invitational.

Senior co-captain Kezia Amartey led Derby in the varsity girls’ race by placing 38th in the time of 23:54 over the 3.1-mile course at Nonnewaug High School. Derby’s Julianne Meagher finished 46th in 25:15.

“Kezia and Julianne have been running well for us all season,” Muz said.

In the girls’ junior varsity race, freshman Keren Amartey placed 11th in 28:52, earning her a medal. The top 15 runners in each race were presented with medals during the awards ceremony.

“Keren has been working hard and is showing potential for the future,” Muz said.

Meanwhile, in the varsity boys’ race, Mac Gray led the Red Raiders by placing 71st with a time of 20:00. He was followed by a pack of five Derby runners, who finished within 1 minute, 40 seconds of Mac.

Jayden Cooper placed 85th in 20:16. He was followed by Colton Shields, 89th, 20:22; Jeyden Allwood, 94th, 20:41; Tyler Adams, 100th, 21:24; and Isaac Baez, 114th, 21:40.

“Mac and Colton continue to be among our top runners and are an integral part of our team’s success,” Muz said.

“Meanwhile, Jayden Cooper turned in the fastest 5k of his life today, as did Jeyden Allwood, Tyler and Isaac,” Muz said. “Their improvement is inspirational.”

In the boys’ junior varsity race, freshman Aydin Balusjevic finished 19th of 108 finishers in the time of 22:12.

“Aydin continues to impress with another very good performance,” Muz said. “He has been exceeding our expectations.”

Derby will travel to Holy Cross on Tuesday for a 3:45 p.m. quad meet that also includes Crosby and Kennedy.

10/02/2026

(This is Muz.) In 1976, Derby High School's Paul Fritz was among the top Cross Country runners in the area, winning the Valley Meet, finishing 2nd in the Housatonic League Meet and finishing 15th in the Class M State Championship. He led the Red Raiders that year to a 16-6 record under then-Coach Ken Marcucio.

Some 50 years later, Paul (pictured 9th from right) joined us at Ryan Field as Derby took on Seymour and Torrington in a tri meet on Tuesday. The 3-time All-Housatonic League selection wanted to catch a meet this year involving his alma mater, and he picked a great day as both the boys' and girls' teams swept to victories over their opponents.

Thank you, Paul, for supporting your alma mater. The team appreciates it.

Paul is among several DHS Cross Country alumni from the 1970s era to cheer on our team at a meet in the last 2 years, joining Bill Schoonmaker, Bill Thompson and Steve Wojtowicz.

10/01/2026

It was a clean sweep at home Tuesday for Derby High School Cross Country during a tri-meet with Seymour and Torrington.

The boys’ team defeated Seymour 22-37 and Torrington 17-40, while the girls’ team posted 15-50 wins against both schools.

“We had a good effort from our kids today,” said Derby Coach Joe “Muz” Musante. “Both teams took care of business with some strong times.”

The Red Raiders now boast a 5-2 record from both the boys’ team and girls’ team.

In the boys’ race, Seymour’s Colton Roginielewicz took the individual victory, covering Derby’s 3.1-mile course in 19:31. Colton, a sophomore, is the son of former Derby distance running standout Jeff Roginielewicz, who earned All-New England status in 2001 as part of his star-studded DHS cross country career.

“Colton has improved considerably since we ran against him during track season last spring,” Muz said. “He’s running well and we wish him the best of luck throughout the season.”

Derby dominated the next three spots with sophomore Jayden McNeill taking 2nd in 20:13, and seniors Colton Shields and Mac Gray finishing 3rd and 4th, respectively, with times of 20:15 and 20:17.

“The trio did exactly what we needed and put us in a strong position to win the meet,” Muz said.

Senior Jayden Cooper and sophomore Jeyden Allwood placed 7th and 8th overall with times of 21:29 and 21:45 for the Big Red.

“Jayden and Jeyden essentially clinched the sweep today with strong performances,” Muz said.

Derby’s Tyler Adams, Aydin Basuljevic and Isaac Baez finished 13th, 14th and 16th, respectively with times of 23:07, 23:13 and 23:22.

“Tyler, Aydin and Isaac formed a close pack, and we look forward to seeing how well they will perform in the upcoming meets,” Muz said.

Torrington’s Avery Mazzacane captured individual honors in the girls’ race with a time of 24:19.

Derby’s Kezia Amartey placed 2nd in 24:38, while Seymour’s Arabella Carboni finished 3rd in 25:15.

Julianne Meagher of Derby placed 4th in 25:43. Also running well for the Raiders were Keren Amartey, Shirley Diglio-Guerrette and Sasha Capelle.

“It was truly a team effort by our girls to win the meet,” Muz said. “Each runner played an indispensable role in attaining the victories.”

Derby travels Friday afternoon to the Nonnewaug Invitational at Nonnewaug High School in Woodbury.

09/25/2026

Derby High School’s Girls’ and Boys’ Cross Country teams put in a valiant effort Tuesday against defending Naugatuck Valley League champion Watertown and league power Naugatuck, but fell short against their rivals in a tri-meet at Veterans’ Memorial Park in Watertown.

The DHS girls’ team lost 21-36 to Watertown and 23-32 to Naugy, while the boys’ team was beaten by Watertown 18-41 and Naugy 26-30.

Both the Derby boys and girls now sport a 3-2 record.

“Our kids fought hard today, but it wasn’t quite enough against two very strong NVL teams,” said Derby Coach Joe “Muz” Musante.

Muz also pointed out that Derby was without the services of Joel Capelle and Sasha Capelle, who are both recovering from recent injuries. Each is the top runner on their respective team.

“We’re obviously hoping that they are able to return soon, but we saw some real bright spots today that could make strengthen the team as we progress through the season.”

***Boys Race***

Jayden McNeill placed 5th with a time of 18:52 over the 3.1-mile course. He was followed by teammates Colton Shields and Mac Gray, who placed 9th and 10th, respectively, with times of 19:42 and 19:49.

“All three boys ran faster than they did three days earlier at the Winding Trails Invitational, and their times were closer today to their Watertown counterparts than last week at Winding Trails,” Muz said. “That’s an indication of progress.”

Jayden Cooper was next for the Big Red, placing 14th in 20:45.
“This was a 5k personal record (PR) for Jayden Cooper,” Muz said.

“He ran with purpose and held off a pack of Greyhounds today that was right behind him the entire race. He defeated their No. 4 runner, which is quite an accomplishment.”

Tyler Adams finished 18th with a time of 21:24, followed closely by Jeyden Allwood, who was 20th in 21:33.

“Tyler and Jeyden recorded the best races thus far in their running career,” Muz said.

Isaac Baez and Aydin Basuljevic were next for the Raiders, finishing 25th and 27th, respectively with times of 22:21 and 22:51.

“Isaac and Aydin continue to work hard in practice and it will be interesting to see how they race during the second half of the season,” Muz said.

***Girls Race***

Kezia Amartey and Julianne Meagher finished 4th and 5th in the girls’ race with times of 23:58 and 24:14.

“Kezia and Julianne competed against some of the top runners in the NVL today and both ran a good time for this part of the season,” Muz said.

Keren Amartey, Lyra Krause and Shirley Diglio-Guerrette placed 13th, 14th and 17th.

“Each of them gained valuable racing experience today with Lyra running almost 2 minutes faster than in our dual meet last week at Wolcott,” Muz said. “All three are an integral part of our team.”

Derby will host Seymour and Torrington at 3:45 p.m. Tuesday at Ryan Field.

09/22/2026

Derby High School’s Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country teams competed successfully Saturday at the Winding Trails Invitational in Farmington.

Three boys finished among the top 35 runners in the varsity boys’ Small School Division race. Sophomore Jayden McNeill placed 29th with a time of 19:21 over the 3.05-mile course. He was followed closely by seniors Colton Shields and Mac Gray, who finished 33rd and 34th, respectively, with times of 19:48 and 19:52.

“The three boys ran well today,” said Derby Coach Joe “Muz” Musante. “It was Jayden’s first time over the course, while Colton and Mac cut considerable time from last year at this meet.”

Muz noted Mac and Colton had placed 53rd and 60th, respectively, last year.

Also running well for Derby in the race were junior Isaac Baez, senior Jayden Cooper, sophomore Jeyden Allwood, and sophomore Tyler Adams.

Freshman Aydin Basuljevic placed 14th in the junior varsity boys’ Small School Division race, earning himself a medal. He recorded a time of 22:12.

“It was only the second race of Aydin’s career, and he ran significantly faster than just four days earlier in our meet against Wolcott,” Muz said. “Aydin has worked hard since joining the team a few weeks ago.”

Derby’s Kezia Amartey and Julianne Meagher placed 46th and 50th, respectively, in the varsity girls’ Medium School Division, with times of 23:34 and 23:50.

“Kezia and Julianne both ran an excellent race for us,” Muz said. “Julianne cut 31 seconds from last year’s time, which is also the fastest she has ever run the Winding Trails course during her four years at Derby High School.

“Meanwhile, Kezia crushed last year’s time by more than 2 minutes, which is a huge leap forward for her.”

Freshman Keren Amartey placed 26th out of 60 finishers in the junior varsity girls’ Medium School Division.

“Keren ran well and gained some valuable experience running on this course and against girls from Class M and MM schools,” Muz said. “She beat more than half of the field, which is notable for someone who ran only the second high school race of her career.”

Photos taken by Joel Capelle and Muz.

09/20/2026

Just a reminder...if you're looking for a nice meal and want to support our hard working cross country student-athletes...join us tomorrow evening from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Derby High School cafeteria for our pasta dinner fundraiser. Donations are $20 for adults; $15 for high school/middle school students; $10 for elementary school students and younger.

09/16/2026

DHS CROSS COUNTRY SWEEPS SEASON OPENER

The Derby High School Girls’ and Boys’ Cross Country teams swept their respective season openers Tuesday in a quad meet (four teams) at Wolcott High School.

The girls posted 15-50 victories over Wolcott, St. Paul and Wilby. The boys defeated St. Paul and Wilby by identical 15-50 scores, while forging a strong stretch run to nose out Wolcott 27-30. The result left both the boys’ and girls’ teams with 3-0 records.

“It was a good day for both teams,” said Derby Coach Joe “Muz” Musante. “Our girls’ team not only did what they needed to do to secure the wins, but each girl ran a solid opening season time.

“Meanwhile, the boys pulled through despite a determined effort by an improved Wolcott squad,” Muz said. “At the halfway mark, we were tied with Wolcott 28-28. But we finished strong in the second half, and especially in the final 600 meters, to gain the victory.”

***Boys' Race

In the boys’ race, Wolcott’s Brayden Wyner notched the individual victory with a time of 17:19 over the host school’s 3.1-mile course. Derby’s Joel Capelle, senior co-captain, put up a strong fight and placed second with a time of 17:30.

“Joel ran a nice race, but Brayden was just a little stronger today,” Muz said. “The pace was extremely fast in the early going with Joel staying fairly close. Joel made a move in the final 400 meters that made it an interesting race, but give credit to Brayden for holding on and having a very good race.”

Derby’s Jayden McNeill placed 4th overall with a time of 19:11, followed closely by teammate Colton Shields.

“Jayden ran his first high school cross country race today and did a nice job for us,” Muz said. “He had an excellent freshman year in track, running the 1,600 and 800 meter races. He’s adjusting now to the longer 5k distance of cross country and is doing well.

“Colton stormed through the last 200 meters to pass a Wolcott runner and that marked one of the changes in the second half of the race to help us edge out Wolcott,” Muz said.

Senior co-captain Mac Gray was next for the Red Raiders, finishing 7th in 19:43.

“Mac’s job was to finish ahead of Wolcott’s No. 4 runner and he did exactly that today,” Muz said. “He is showing signs of significant improvement over last year.”

Jayden Cooper placed 9th for the Raiders with a time of 21:08.

“Jayden was our No. 5 runner today, and his ability to finish ahead of Wolcott’s No. 5 runner clinched the victory for us,” Muz said. “He also is showing signs of improvement.”

Muz also noted that Tyler Adams and Jeyden Allwood, who placed 10th and 11th, respectively, also finished ahead of Wolcott’s No. 5 runner.

Under cross country scoring, when a team’s 6th and/or 7th runners finish ahead of another team’s 5th runner – a process called “displacement” – it adds points to the opponent. Because low score wins in cross country, it can help a team in a close meet. Tyler and Jeyden both added 1 point each to Wolcott’s score, and that was important in a meet this close.

“They both recorded the fastest 5k times in their career, and it was only our first meet,” Muz said.

Also running well for Derby were Isaac Baez and Aydin Basuljevic. Isaac finished 14th in 22:04, while Aydin, a freshman, was 18th in 24:04.

“Isaac also is new to cross country this year, having run the 800 and 400 meters in track,” Muz said. “He is doing well and is only going to get better as the season progresses.

“Aydin is brand new to running, but ran faster than we anticipated today,” Muz said.

***Girls' Race

Sasha Capelle paced the Raiders in the girls’ meet, finishing 2nd in 23:02.

“Sasha has trained hard in the summer and in pre-season and this was a good start to the season for her,” Muz said.

Teammates Kezia Amartey and Julianne Meagher placed 4th and 5th overall with respective times of 24:40 and 25:15.

“Kezia and Julianne both had strong races for this time of the season,” Muz said. “Kezia actually recorded the fastest 5k of her career.”

Freshmen Keren Amartey and Lyra Krause also ran well for the Raiders.

Keren finished 7th in 27:20, while Lyra placed 9th in 33:28.

“Keren and Lyra both exceeded my expectations as this is their first high school cross country meet,” Muz said. “They both ran well.”

Derby will compete Saturday in the Winding Trails Invitational in Farmington.

09/15/2026

(This is Muz.) Join us next Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Derby High School cafeteria for our team's pasta dinner fundraiser. The dinner include penne with meatballs, salad, dinner rolls, cookies/brownies and soft drinks.

The cost is $20 per adult, $15 for high school and middle school students and $10 for elementary school kids.

09/13/2026

Derby High School's Boys' and Girls' Cross Country teams will kick off the 2026 season Tuesday with a quad meet at Wolcott High School.

The Red Raiders will take on St. Paul, Wilby and host Wolcott.

On Saturday, Derby will compete in the Winding Trails Invitational.

Derby fans and cross country enthusiasts are invited to attend our meets, home and away. The first home meet is scheduled for Sept. 29 vs. Seymour and Torrington, while the second home meet (Senior Day/Night) is set for Oct. 14 vs Woodland, Oxford and Waterbury Career Academy.

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P. O. Box 873
Derby, CT
06418

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